RR unveils 8th-gen Phantom

Rolls-Royce has set a fresh benchmark in the luxury car industry with the new eighth generation Phantom by shifting away from the status quo of shared platforms to an entirely new luxury business model.

Unlike other luxury manufacturers who attempt to realise economies of scale by sharing platforms, Rolls-Royce concluded that the future of true luxury lies in true small-volume manufacture of a dedicated ‘Architecture of Luxury’. “This architecture will carry every future Rolls-Royce, not just the new Phantom. Project Cullinan and eventually the next Ghost, Wraith, Dawn will ride on this architecture, as well as future coach-build projects”, says an official press statement.

It is an all-aluminium spaceframe architecture that will underpin every future RR model beginning with the new Phantom. No future Rolls-Royce will be of monocoque construction and it has been designed and engineered in such a way as to be scalable to the size and weight requirements of different future RR models, including those with different propulsion, traction and control systems. It is approximately 30 per cent more rigid than the spaceframe architecture on which the Phantom VII sat.

Rolls-Royce’s celebrated Magic Carpet Ride also improves as a result of the new lighter architecture, and the latest generation of self-levelling air suspension. The suspension makes millions of calculations every second as it continuously varies the electronically controlled shock absorber adjustment system – reacting to body and wheel acceleration, steering inputs and camera information.

The RR statement says that a lot of effort was put into creating ‘the most silent motor car in the world’ including six mm two-layer glazing all around the car, more than 130 kg of insulation, the largest ever cast aluminium joints in a body-in-white, and use of high absorption materials.

At the beginning of this next chapter of Rolls-Royce’s existence, and with the creation of the new architecture, the Phantom also benefits from a new engine. With the focus on creating the most silent motor car in the world, a completely silent engine was also required, and that meant more low-end output at lower revs. A completely new, 6.75-litre V12 powertrain has been engineered, in place of the previous naturally aspirated V12 engine. The new V12 employs two turbo chargers that contribute to a low-end torque output of 900 Nm at a low 1,700 rpm whilst also delivering 563 bhp of power. The addition of Satellite Aided Transmission, married to a ZF eight-Speed gearbox also helps the driver be prepared for whatever the road has in store for them.

The first Rolls-Royce to be built on the new architecture, the new model is said to be a contemporary interpretation of the Phantom DNA. The new body joining process ensures there are few visible join lines between body panels, making the new Phantom look like it has been hewn from a solid block of aluminium.

The contemporisation of Phantom design starts with the reimagining of the Pantheon grille. However, unlike all previous Phantoms, the new model’s grille is for the first time integrated into the surrounding bodywork. In addition, a new headlamp graphic gives a focused expression with frosted internals that feel open and optimistic, whilst accommodating an expressive ring of daytime driving lights and an advanced laserlight system that at night casts light well over 600 metres.

The grille itself is created from hand-polished stainless steel. From the side, the new Phantom has the iconic 2:1 proportions that have endeared so many to every generation of Phantom, featuring a short front and long rear overhang, an upright front and a flowing rear. The rear lines of the car in side view circle forward to the waft line and lead the eye back through the front wheel. The largest single-piece of hand-polished stainless steel on any motor car is the side frame finisher.

Also, the largest high-value alloy wheel ever employed on a Rolls-Royce is offered. At 22-inches, the diameter when shod in Rolls-Royce’s Seal Technology Tyres’ delivers a Magic Carpet Ride never experienced in a Rolls-Royce before. The rear and now front doors can also be effortlessly closed from the inside. The lines at the front of the cabin lean forward suggesting a progressive nature, while in contrast the rear doors lean back, relaxing the character of the rear environment.

RR’s press statement also mentions that the new Phantom’s wholly modern design aesthetic is ‘The Gallery’, a contemporary reinterpretation of a motor car’s dashboard and instrument panel area. While the character of the monolithic, upright dashboard pays contemporary homage to Rolls-Royce models of the past, with a symmetrical surface, the main fascia veneer takes the eye from the lower centre up and outwards to create a sense of width. Also behind the glass of ‘The Gallery’ are housed the analogue clock – a nod to the fact that it is “the loudest sound you can hear in a Rolls-Royce …” and the central information screen, which can be retracted behind the centre stack when not in use. As a Bespoke Commission, customers will be able to choose a favoured artist or designer to work with Rolls-Royce to create a truly individual work of art that spans the width of ‘The Gallery’ in their New Phantom.

COMMENT NOW